At the time of booking this flight was due to leave from Terminal 5, alas this flight instead became one of, if not, my last from Terminal 4. My father drove Kirstin and myself to what had become something of a building site since my last passage. The old set down area was closed off and had been moved further from the building itself with the walkways into the building being riddled with puddles.

The First check-in area was completely empty and so formalities were dealt with very quickly, although for a 12.40pm departure we were told to be at the gate 45 minutes beforehand. Eh? There was a similar "wait" for security so my last Terminal 4 experience on BA was rather positive so far. We went straight to the Lounge Pavilion and aimed downstairs to the Elemis Spa and were 'greeted' by the staffer outside the Concorde Room with a delightful Estuary accent, 'Got a Gold card?', assuming we were going to the First lounge. My response was just to look like I knew what I was doing rather than come up with something snide, 'Yes, and I'm in First too' .

Once again we were to be disappointed by the Elemis Spa experience. Even though I usually arrive at the spa more than two hours in advance my percentage of successful appointments has nose-dived since the spa went from Molton Brown to Elemis control. My wife was booked into a standby spot in case of cancellation but confusingly I was not...a little annoyed we went back upstairs to the Concorde Room. The staffer said, 'That was quick' and as we walked into the CCR she muttered an 'Oh'.

I put my bags down at some seats beside the window and went to the bar to get a bacon roll. I was told that they had run out of bacon! Those who have read my other reports will know this is borderline disaster I asked if there was any in the First lounge downstairs which prompted them to get some from there themselves! A few minutes later and it was brought over to my seat.

This picture will be no surprise to those who have read my previous BA First reports!

My wife went downstairs for her potential cancellation and although it didn't materialize they did put her in one of the massage chairs for a fifteen minute appointment which she enjoyed. Afterwards she went to try and get a bacon roll but they had run completely out and so took a tomato and mushroom baguette instead.

An announcement was made that an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft had a heavy landing on the northern runway and that it was closed with all upcoming flights delayed by at least an hour. I went straight down to the spa once again to see if my new found delay opens anything up. I booked a 12pm appointment in the chair and also a rather optimistic 1pm full body massage.

The Terminal 4 Concorde Room, for possibly the last time

Upon my return I noticed that a bag had been on the seats across from where I'd been sat for almost an hour so let one of the lounge wardens know about it. They came over and opened the briefcase noting it belonged to a Qantas passenger on a long layover. We start chatting about Terminal 5, health and safety and various other topics for a few minutes until it is time for me to head to the spa.

The chair was surprisingly comfortable and quite relaxing, although the Concorde Room staff hadn't had any news to confirm the flight had been delayed yet so I was keeping half an eye out at my watch...Upon my return to the CCR I was told eighteen passengers had boarded our flight but they'd make an announcement about a good time for us to make the short walk to gate 14. That announcement came five minutes later and by the time we got to the gate the SlowTrack boarding line was rather long, but First/Club World was empty.

At door 2L I was greeted and escorted to my seat and offered washbag, sleeper suit and drink. I noticed this was one of the GE-90 equipped 777s with tiddly PTV screens and 12 channels of IFE. When the goodies arrive I was offered Macadamia nuts and subsequently arabic coffee and a date.

Local coffee with a date with Macadamias plus washbag

As we got comfortable we were told that we were delayed waiting for a passenger who checked in, with bags, and managed to go missing. Who are these people? Where do they go? As we wait for this one passenger we were informed that we'd missed our slot, were to be delayed another hour and that we were free to use mobile phones and electronics. This caused the woman in 4K to go into overdrive chatting at very high volume and with phone ringing off the hook at about 120dB.

Menus were handed out and we were given some time to peruse the options before deciding. The CSD opted to come and introduce himself at this time, although it was a little wooden. He said exactly the same thing to everyone and had to stare down at the passenger list before using our names. It was rather awkward...

After some time in my own seat, watching the departures from 09R I went to sit in my wife's buddy seat where canapes and a glass of Chablis were served.

Canapes in 02K

I noticed the aircraft's registration in the galley and somewhat coincidentally it was the same 777 I flew when I emigrated to the US in 2005, and my wife was sitting in the same seat I sat in on that flight.

At around 2.05pm, almost ninety minutes after scheduled departure we were told we were ready for the off. We taxied down to the end of 09R, with CX252 on the other side of the runway mirroring our journey. This brought a smile to my face as I knew we would be on that very flight in eight days time. As we waited for the traffic to clear my wife spotted a fox running perilously down the taxiway towards us from the runway threshold. I wonder how long he'd survive in the middle of Heathrow?

Terminal 5 and CX252

Departing Heathrow on runway 09R

We deviated little from the initial bearing as we tracked across London, although thick cloud cover obscured any potential good views. There was some light chop as we came across Germany but there was a little to do but watch the crew raise the level of Chablis in my glass.

Almost exactly one hour after takeoff I went back to my wife's buddy seat for lunch. We both started off with the smoked salmon which was pretty good, the portion was quite stingy, however, based on SFO-LHR a couple of days before this wasn't necessarily a bad thing

Loch Fyne Baltic salmon with horseradish creme fraiche

Next up was the salad which was pretty boring, it tasted exactly like the stuff they serve in Club World. I decided to leave half of it behind...

Fresh salad leaves with balsamic dressing

My wife had green lentil soup which I passed on and so the next course was duck, a favourite of mine, but the first time in memory I've had it in the air on BA. I thought this was quite good, I suspect duck is quite a tough meat to cook airborne but the result wasn't bad. The sauce helped the drier bits along nicely.

The roles from our SFO-LHR flight were reversed and my wife was too full to carry on whereas I was looking to finish the lunch event. The baked apple sounded like it fitted the bill, and it did. The vanilla sauce was superb and I kept re-pouring it over the apple itself.

Liam Tomlin's baked apple with nut and fruit filling served with vanilla sauce

After around one hour of meal service I went back to my own seat for a bit and took a few pics...

1) Seat 2F
2) The GE-90 on this BA 777
3) The interesting cloud formations over Eastern Europe
4) Other traffic in the neighbourhood

As we passed over the Black Sea coast the second loop of movies started, this being one of the BA's fleet yet, if ever, to be equipped with AVOD. I decided to watch 'National Treasure 2: Book Of Secrets', not exactly intellectual viewing but good fun for a flight.

As I watched the movie I noticed the crew seemed extremely absent, quite a few of the passengers were getting some shuteye but for those who aren't a quick pass through the cabin every twenty minutes or so can't hurt, can it?

I almost made it through the film but fell asleep just before the end and woke during the credits. By this time we were passing just over Baghdad and needed some hydration so used the call button for water delivery.

The route of BA107

Nearing Kuwait I see the afternoon tea slot approaching and not fancying any of the sandwich options I asked about the ravioli from the 'Snacks' section of the menu. These are available any time throughout the flight and can handily act as a backup if the main options look unappealing, and this was one such case!

The ravoili was served up with bread and unusually, or perhaps not, a bottle of Tabasco sauce. This seemed an interesting way to add a bit of bite to the dish and I slopped a fair bit on to the extent one of the crew said the entire cabin smelled of the stuff, in a polite way of course! (hopefully! )

Ravioli with four cheese filling served with tomato and basil sauce

This course was actually pretty tasty, certainly better than the sandwiches which seem to be a lame second course on pretty much any daytime route in First.

The clearing of the table indicated as good a time as any to change back to civvies and my wife grabbed our clothes from the locker at the rear of the cabin. The final preparations for landing were all made very quickly and the twenty minutes to landing call was done despite the fact we were circling around fifty miles west of the field with little prospect of landing in the next forty minutes, let alone twenty! The flightdeck had even told us that only one runway at DXB was open (like LHR!) but eventually you could just hear all the right noises that indicated it was our turn to land.

The approaching lights of the city and the Burj Dubai in the distance towering above them signalled our final approach onto runway 12L but it wasn't all over there. The taxi round to our gate seemed to be never ending and I breathed a sigh of relief once we finally docked up.

The walk from the gate to immigration underneath the apron seemed quite long but we did climb the the stairs to find FastTrack immigration open (nice idea! ) and completely empty, much like the majority of the desks to be honest! Then there was a hop through security-lite (no belts off, no WTMDs or liquids out etc) and to baggage reclaim. It took a few minutes for the bags to come through but ours were one of the first and then it was through customs (the group ahead of us got taken in) and to meet our driver for the ride to the hotel. The 1hr+ delays at each end of the journey had resulted in us being really quite tired and as we relaxed with a bottle of water en-route to Jumeirah Beach we were glad we weren't in the roasting heat trying to get a taxi!

Verdict: Sometimes ground operations don't work in your favour; delays at both Dubai and London that were outside BA's control didn't help the cause.

However, the flight itself was pretty good, with every flight I take I find the service is more and more the make or break for me. The crew on this flight were pretty friendly, making a few light hearted comments here and there which is always a good sign. If only they could have taught the CSD a thing or two All things said I'd had better (and worse!) crews in First than the friendly group on BA107.

Another flight, another failed attempt at getting an Elemis Spa appointment...need I say more?

Always a pleasure to read your TR's. This was no exception! Thanks for sharing this great trip. Might I ask what is it that allows you to travel with the wife around the world so constantly? (If I'm not intruding of course)

Great report as usual! I used to fly BA all the time when I lived in Chicago but it's been a while since my last flight, except for a couple of trips between LCY and EDI which really don't count. Of course, ever since I moved to Atlanta, I've become a Skyteam whore, and First is usually on AF (if its offered, that is). BA seem to have trimmed a few things here and there in First, but it looks like they're still overall superior to AF.

And my curiosity can't stand it any longer... How was Dubai? I've never been there, but from pictures, trip reports, TV shows and what people have said, I simply do not understand one thing... What is the draw of Dubai? It seems like besides shopping and some incredibly gaudy architecture, there isn't much? Dubai appaers to have become more artificial than Vegas, which is quite something!

I love reading your trip reports, Fraser. Congratulations on another excellent one. How fortunate of you and your wife to be able to travel in such style. I am glad you enjoy it so much and truly appreciate it.

Massively. More people are getting aware of the product and services but there seems to be nothing done to handle the increased demand.

Quoting Misbeehavin (Reply 4):And my curiosity can't stand it any longer... How was Dubai? I've never been there, but from pictures, trip reports, TV shows and what people have said, I simply do not understand one thing... What is the draw of Dubai? It seems like besides shopping and some incredibly gaudy architecture, there isn't much? Dubai appaers to have become more artificial than Vegas, which is quite something!

My wife mentioned going, I was initially skeptical. However, we had a really good time with plenty to do. The only time we went near a mall was to go skiing in the Mall of the Emirates.

We did a bit of time on the beach (and Wild Wadi waterpark), did some dune bashing, met some camels, went go-karting, skiied indoors, saw some of the 'old city' and enjoyed some of the UAE hospitality. That was in three days! I know some people who go there for two weeks and return year on year. Not sure I could do that long as I'm not very good at just spudding out. Kirstin and I both decided we would return in a few years though. There are a lot of very interesting development projects (yes, catered to tourists, and quite cheesy tourist things!) and I'm sure the emirate will be completely unrecognisable!

Quoting ClassicLover (Reply 11):Presumably because BA are moving to T5 and he won't be travelling via T4 anytime soon as he lives in the US?

Although it looks like I've got myself another trip through there in July now! I'm planning a trip to see my brother over that timeframe and the Washington flights don't move over to T5 until September. Gah!

Excellent trip report! I've just returned from Dubai, flying with KLM in World Business Class. Your seat certainly looks comfortable, but I'm not a BA fan myself. Hope you enjoyed your trip to Dubai. Having lived there for a few years, and travelling about 4 times a year there, I always like to hear positive feedback from travellers.

It's also coincidental that you were at Jumeirah Beach, whilst I was over at Burj Al Arab.

Brilliant report (esp. the pictures)! Really brings the rest of us into that rarified world of BA's (or any non-U.S. airline's) international First Class. I've flown several trips in Business Class, but don't even dare hope I'll make it into int'l FC. Thanks for the look in!

Nice report Fraser. I was interested to hear what the BA 107 is like; I've done 8 roundtrips on BA on LHR-DXB so far, but it's always been on the evening departure from Heathrow (BA 109) and unfortunately never in First, always in J (if the company is paying) or WT+ (if I'm paying).

Quoting Fbgdavidson (Thread starter):Once again we were to be disappointed by the Elemis Spa experience. Even though I usually arrive at the spa more than two hours in advance my percentage of successful appointments has nose-dived since the spa went from Molton Brown to Elemis control.

Any idea why BA and Molton Brown fell out of love? On the few occasions that I've had massages, they've also been while the spa was under MB. During my last terraces experience I also felt that the T4 showers were better than the new ones in Terminal 5.

They also offer Arabic coffee on Saudi Airlines in First or Business class, and again along with dates. I personally hate the stuff. I wonder if the same mannerisms apply though - for example if you were to shake the cup from side to side, would the BA crew know not to give you any more?

Quoting Fbgdavidson (Thread starter):This course was actually pretty tasty, certainly better than the sandwiches which seem to be a lame second course on pretty much any daytime route in First.

Any idea if the sandwiches in First are presented in a plastic wrapper as they are in Club World? That is one of my gripes about the pre-landing snack service on the BA UK-North America flights.

Quoting Fbgdavidson (Thread starter):The walk from the gate to immigration underneath the apron seemed quite long but we did climb the the stairs to find FastTrack immigration open (nice idea! ) and completely empty, much like the majority of the desks to be honest!

I hate the walk from the aircraft to the immigration area at Dubai airport. It's literally a 10 minute walk and typically with people who don't know where to stand on the moving walkway if they are not walking. Fortunately I have an electronic card which means I can bypass immigration.

Quoting Fbgdavidson (Thread starter):The 1hr+ delays at each end of the journey had resulted in us being really quite tired and as we relaxed with a bottle of water en-route to Jumeirah Beach

I used to live very close to the Jumeriah Beach hotel. How did you find it?

Quoting Fbgdavidson (Thread starter):There are a lot of very interesting development projects (yes, catered to tourists, and quite cheesy tourist things!) and I'm sure the emirate will be completely unrecognisable!

Every time I come back "home" to Dubai from my travels I find that the road to the office has changed!

Burj Al Arab - I haven't stayed there, but have been there several times. We had our office end of year party in the banquet hall on the top floor last year, and I've been there a few times for dinner. The only thing I like about the Burj is the lobby bar under the sail which has a very nice, airy feel to it. The two restaurants I have been to have been decorated in vulgar taste (Al Muntaha) and gimmicky but very good (Al Mahara, accessible by "submarine").

I find the interior decorations and style very obnoxious and OTT, not surprisingly this makes it popular in the Gulf Arab world. Classier hotels can be had for less in Dubai.

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Quoting Fbgdavidson (Thread starter):'Got a Gold card?', assuming we were going to the First lounge. My response was just to look like I knew what I was doing rather than come up with something snide, 'Yes, and I'm in First too' .

As of last Saturday night, I will finally be able to answer "Yes!" to the question of whether I have a Gold card. BA has a very convenient AUH-MCT flight on which you can make the roundtrip in about 4.5 hours (though unfortunately they recently cut the tier points earned in half). I found myself sitting at 1375 Tier Points, and did two quick roundtrips (the first in J/F and the second in J/Y) in order to get myself over the 1,500 limit threshold.

The first phase of the operation I had my first flight in First and was quite impressed despite only having been in the seat for about 1 hour, including 15 minutes of on the ground time. Alas, perhaps I'll get to fly in the real thing one day! I'm not sure whether the crew was supposed to give me the washbag or the pyjamas since I was getting off at AUH and not continuing to LHR, but am glad they did so anyway!

It doesn't seem like there are too many tangible benefits of BA Gold over Silver, but hopefully there will be some intangible ones. Still waiting for the status to click over.

Not at all. I'd heard it was a horror show in the early hours but the immigration hall was completely empty.

Quoting Conrad1402 (Reply 18):To be honest, I personally I find the Burj a bit too grand. I'll stick with JBH from now on. It's just a great resort!

We did look at the Burj Al Arab as the whole trip was something of a blowout but we decided at over $2000/night whist we were there it wasn't worth it. We actually got a great deal at the Hilton Jumeirah Beach (2 nights) and Hilton Dubai Creek (2 nights) and paid about 10% of the price Burj, plus got upgraded to a nice suite that was very spacious. As we were out of the hotel for most of the time anyways it seemed a bit of a waste spending that much so used it for other hotels later on in our trip

Quoting GSPSPOT (Reply 19):Brilliant report (esp. the pictures)! Really brings the rest of us into that rarified world of BA's (or any non-U.S. airline's) international First Class. I've flown several trips in Business Class, but don't even dare hope I'll make it into int'l FC.

You never know...save up those FF miles, get promoted, marry into money or something

Not a clue, other than the contract just coming to an end. I miss it though. The 30minute full body massages were far better than the Elemis efforts IMO.

Quoting AirxLiban (Reply 20):I wonder if the same mannerisms apply though - for example if you were to shake the cup from side to side, would the BA crew know not to give you any more?

Something tells me the Essex girl we had in our aisle wouldn't have

Quoting AirxLiban (Reply 20):Any idea if the sandwiches in First are presented in a plastic wrapper as they are in Club World? That is one of my gripes about the pre-landing snack service on the BA UK-North America flights.

Nope. Last time I had them there were served from the silver platter and you picked as many as you wanted. To be honest most of the time in F I avoid that and pick something off the snack menu anyways.

Quoting AirxLiban (Reply 20):I used to live very close to the Jumeriah Beach hotel. How did you find it?

We actually stplit our time between the Hilton Jumeirah Beach and Hilton Dubai Creek. We liked the Jumeirah Beach location

Quoting AirxLiban (Reply 20):I'm not sure whether the crew was supposed to give me the washbag or the pyjamas since I was getting off at AUH and not continuing to LHR, but am glad they did so anyway!

It has been reported elsewhere that others doing the same have been given the washbags and PJs.

Quoting AirxLiban (Reply 20):As of last Saturday night, I will finally be able to answer "Yes!" to the question of whether I have a Gold card.

Quoting OneWay (Reply 23):what do you think about BA first concorde room ?

The Concorde Room in Terminal 4 was much better before the retirement of Concorde was announced. There was proper waiter service, decent selection of reading material and it just seemed like a nice place to wait. The last few years it has been something of a letdown; tables often cluttered with detritus from the previous guests, food the same as the First Lounge (which is really a oneworld Emerald lounge) and furniture that looks like it could require the services of a French polisher

I've only used the new Concorde Room in Terminal 5 the once and really like it. Lots of room, a concierge desk, cabanas, proper food and sit down dining all day, the waiter service seems to be back and from an aesthetic perspective it is really easy on the eye. There are a few pictures from a trip I made to Vienna here (apologies in advance to Qantas077 for 'shallow self promotion!) and here.